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LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has warned the government of a strong protest if it plans to delay the general election due in March next year.

“The conspiracies of delaying the general elections for a year are a self-deception and if anyone has such a plan in one’s mind, one should forget it, as the PML-N will strongly oppose such plans,” a press release quoted PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif as saying at a party meeting here on Thursday. “Early and fair elections are the only solution to all crises being faced by the country.”

Asked as to how the party judged that plans were under way to postpone the polls, information secretary Mushahidullah Khan, who was one of the participants in the meeting, told Dawn by phone that they had certain information about the plan. MQM’s roundtable on national issues signalled that the party was working on this issue, he said.

Replying to a query, he said MQM might be working at President Asif Ali Zardari or establishment’s behest. “The MQM is failing to manage the affairs of the city under its control (Karachi), but it is active to set a national agenda.”

The release quoted Mr Sharif as saying that the PML-N resolved the issue of a unanimous chief election commissioner by remaining in assemblies and if party had come out of the parliament, the Zardari government would have created a new crisis in the country by appointing its favourite to the post.

The PML-N chief expressed his resolve to ensure a caretaker government in the country having trust of all concerned. Resorting to Zardari bashing, he said the government ruined the country during the last four years and every passing day was harming the nation. He said the government destroyed the national economy due to its inefficiency and incapability as a result of which loadshedding, price-hike, unemployment and poverty made people’s lives miserable.

He said freedom, sovereignty, security and solidarity of a country having weaker economy remained at stake. He held the government and its allies responsible for the existing situation in which people were facing loadshedding in Ramazan.

He said loadshedding was artificial to a large extent, as it was result of rulers’ corruption and inefficiency. He said if the government would have paid attention to this issue and curtailed its lavish spending, loadshedding could have been overcome within 48 hours.

Referring to the manifesto the PML-N is framing for the next elections, Sharif said it would give a comprehensive programme for energy, trade and education to enable the country join ranks of fastest progressing countries of Asia.